Grain-separating screen.



No. 682,669. Patented Sept. I7, I90l.

C. CLSZ.

GRAIN 4SEPARTING SCREEN.

' (Application tiled Dec. 26, 1900.) (No Medel.) 2 Shane-Sheet 2.

a ce l' /0 /0 @wom/woz TME Nonms verges no. PHoTsLrTHo.. wAsHmGTnN. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

CHARLES OLOSZ, OF WEBSTER CITY, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO CLOSZ AND HOWARD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GRAIN-SEPARATINGSCREEN. l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 682,669, dated September 1'?, 1901.

Y Application filed December 26, 1900. Serial No. llr1,057. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES OLosZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Webster City, in the county of Hamilton and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Separating Screens, of which the following is a specification.

The improvement inl grain-screens which forms the subject-matter of this patent is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

cylinder.

To render effective theseparation of the grain and chaff from the straw, to facilitate the movement of the straw over the screen, to turn or direct the grain and chaff from the straw into the screen-openings, to prevent Ichoking in any part of thescreening-surface, `t0 iirmly hold the metal platform to its frame,

to render the -platform in its capacity as the separating-mesh rigid and of uniform strength throughout its surface, and to effect the partiing or partial division of the body of the straw `in its movement 'on the platform is the design of my present improvement.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l shows in perspective my improvedplatform corrugated metal screen and its peculiar alternate arrangement of wood toothed bars for eifecting the movement of the straw and for partially parting or interrupting it in such movement at and across the middle of the screen. Fig. 2 is a-vertical transverse section of a por* tion of the screen, showing one of the corrugations of the metal screening-surface and the supplementing relation thereto of one of the wooden toothed straw-separating bars. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same, taken in the line of the movement of the straw along the side of one of the wood toothed bars which supplements the metal corrugation and covers the ends of the transverse meshopenings to prevent choking thereat. Fig. 4c is a View like Fig. 1, showing the screeningsurface in two sections secured at their meeting edges bya transverse bar. Fig. 5 shows relation of the end of the transverse meshopenings to one of the wood tooth-bars.

The sheet-metal platform is preferably formed with corrugations 1 in the line of the movement of the straw over it and with mesh-openings 2 formed transversely audterminating at the. base of the corrugations. The corrugations may be about three and a half inches apart, their upper edges about on a level with the top edges of the surfaces 3, between which the mesh-openings are formed. Transverse cuts and a stamping or swaging action form the mesh-openings, one of the edges of each cut forming the raised surface ridges e, the other depressed edges 5 forming the openings between the downwardly and rearwardly inclined surfaces of the metal between the cuts through which the grain passes from the straw, as indicated by the arrows. The openings terminate in points -and gradually increase in width from each point to the middle of their length, but which may be of any other suitable form that will give a surface inclining or curving between the cuts downward from the top edge toward the receiving end of the screen, so as to form thereby a free and unobstructed discharge for the grain, while the straw is carried off over the forward'standing edges of the metal cut parts. It will be understood that the platform is mounted to receive an air-blast provided beneath the screen when the latter is used to separate the chaff from the grain, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3.

While the corrugations l afford very material rigidity and strength to the platform, I find that they are not sufficient for that purpose. I have therefore made provision for increasing the rigidity and strength of the sheet-metal platform by supplementing the integral corrugations, with wood bars 6, having a saw-tooth form on their upper edges, the shoulders 7 of the teeth standing `vertical and toward the delivery end ofthe screen, while the lower edges of the bars are grooved in top view a portion of the screen and the IOO or recessed to fit over and cover the corrugations, as in Fig. 2. These toothed bars under the shaking of the screen carry the straw forward and shake and open it to loosen and separate the grain from it, so that the grain drops into the surface mesh and passes through it to be further separate from the chaff. There are certain peculiarities in the arrangement and relation of these wood toothed bars to each other which give them highly-important advantages in preventing the choking of the straw in its movement over the platform, in the eiiiciency of their separating functions, and in contributing to the rigidity of the platform and to its firm connection with the frame. These peculiarities are the alternate arrangement of the toothed bars with each other, so that they are interrupted mediately of the platform, and thereby alternate in groups, one group extending from the receiving end of the screen and terminating in the middle thereof and the other group extending from the delivering end of the screen and terminating at the middle thereof between the bars of the receivinggroup. This gives an interruption in the continuity of the bars, and it is this interruption which partially causes the straw to part or open and to cause its movement to be retarded transversely at the middle of the platform, and thereby interrupt and change the position of the straw, and thereby give a better separation and freer liberation of the grain than would result from a continuous movement of the straw in a more or less packed body. NVhile the movement of the straw is th us partially parted med iately across the width of the platform, the action of the toothed bars is continuous, those extending from the receiving end of the platform and terminating at the middle thereof delivering the grain upon the alternate toothed bars eX- tending from the middle of the platform to the delivering end thereof. In this operation the moving straw is partially thinned and retarded across the middle of the platform, while it is as a body held above the meshopenings and continually carried forward. The bars in their alternate relation to each other are preferably disposed to terminate at the transverse middle of the screen and with their ends lapping or extending a short distance past each other the better to effect the partial parting and retarding of the movement of the body of the straw at such parting over this break in the continuity of the bars; but obviously the bars may terminate nearer the delivering or of the receiving end of the screen, and their ends terminatein different relation to each other.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3, and 5, it will be seen that the mesh-openings terminate under the toothed bars and that the ends 8 of the openings are thereby covered, so that the vertical walls of the bars serve to swing or direct the grain inward toward the middle of the openings and prevent the grain collecting and choking at the ends of the openings. This advantageous effect results from seating the toothed bars so that While they cover the metal corrugations they are seated upon the top edges at i), Fig. 2, of the mesh-forming surface parts, and this side seating is also advantageous in affording lateral support to the toothed bars directly upon the meshforming surface at the very points which it is desirable to cover from the broken particles of the straw and the grain which would otherwise tend to collect and catch and choke at these narrow points of the openings or pass down and off with the straw along the walls of the corrugations. While the termination of the toothed bars at about the middle of the length of the screen gives the important advantage stated in the movement of the straw, their alternate arrangement along the corrugations of the platform is important in providing for uncovering the corrugations for about half their length between each pair of bars, and thereby avoid making the mesh-space between the bars too narrow, which would tend to impede the free passage of the straw and allow beards of barley o1' rice or broken bunches of straw to collect between the bars and impede the separation of the grain and its free delivery through the mesh. By having the bars to extend only to the middle of the screen and placing them alternate or staggered with each other and with the corrugations the stated objection is overcome.

To prevent the metal platform from being torn from the nail-fastenings l0, Fig. 5, which secure it to the frame, the ends of the toothed bars are riveted to the front and to the rear frame-bars, the rivets l1, Figs. 3 and 5, passing through them. lThe metal platform is also secured by nails l2, Fig. 2, from the under side through the middle of the corrugations to the under grooved edges of the toothed bars, thus secu ring the metal platform firmly and permanently to the frame. The toothed bars therefore while serving to hold up the straw in moving it out above the mesh-openings serve also to prevent the mesh-platform from being torn from its frame under` the violent shaking movement to which it is subjected. The metal platform may be made of a single length, in which case supportingbars 13 may be used, fastened to the frame and nailed to the under sides of the corrugations, as shown by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3, the nails passing up through the metal platform into the toothed bars, so that the under bars will supplement the upper bars in providing a proper support for the metal platform.

In Fig. 4. the metal platform is shown in two transverse sections meeting mediately of the frame, and in this case the meeting edges of the screen-sections are nailed to a transverse frame-bar 14, Fig. 4E, which gives the required rigidity to the frame and supplements the bracing and firmness afforded by the lIO toothed bars, the inner ends of which are also nailed to said middle cross-bar. The screen can be used as a chaier or under screen or as a separator or upper screen, and in either case the mesh is suiiciently large to allow of a free discharge of the grain and chai when used for separating grain from the straw without a wind-blast; but when used as a chaffer for separating the chaff from the grain itis used with a wind-blast.

While I prefer to use the toothed bars with the corrugations in the platform as described, obviously such corrugations may be dispensed with and the toothed bars used with the screening-mesh described or with any suitable screeningsurface so long as the toothed bars have the alternate or staggered arrangement thereon as described and for the purpose stated. The grooving of the bars gives them a close seating on the corrugations and at each side thereof a seating on the highest points of the mesh-surface, so that the nailing of the bars along the ridges of the corrugations gives a rm connection of the bars along ,their length with the screen and serves to greatly increase the stiffness and durability of the screening-surface.

I have shown and described the toothed bars as arranged in two groups, having their continuity interrupted in their alternate arrangement about the transverse middle of the screen; but obviously the toothed bars may be arranged in a greater number of groups, the intermediate group or groups terminating in their alternate or staggered arrangement with the other groups between the receiving and the delivering ends Of the Screen.

I claim- 1. In a grain-separating screen and in combination with a frame and a metallic screening-platform secured therein having corrugations and openings between them, toothed bars arranged in alinement with, over and upon the corrugations and over and covering the ends of the openings On each side of the corrugations, the said toothed bars extending alike in alternate arrangement from the receiving and from the delivering ends of the frame on the same horizontal .plane and terminating between the ends of the frame, whereby the screening-surface is prevented from being choked at the ends of the openings along the opposite sides of the bars.

2. The combination in a grain-separating screen of a frame and a metallic platform having corrugations and openings between them', with toothed bars having longitudinal grooves in their under edges adapted to receive the' corrugations in alinement therewith and to cross and cover the ends and prevent choking of the openings on both sides of the bars,

the latter extending in the same horizontal A. E. H. JOHNSON, A. ROLAND JOHNSON.- 

